Telescopical linkage bracelet



Sept. 27, 1955 K. D. sPALDlNG TELEscoPIcAL LINKAGE BRACELET Filed Aug. 8, 1951 INVENTOR Kfm/HH pal/@m5 .5P/1mm? www@ ATTORN EY United States Patent Oiice 2,718,750 Patented Sept. 27, 1955 2,718,750 i TELESCOPICAL LINKAGE BRACELET Kenneth Douglas Spalding, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,

assignor to Dominion Watch Case Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application August 8, 1951, Serial N o. 240,880

4 Claims. (Cl. 59-79) The present invention relates to an cxpansible androntractable linkage for use as a bracelet, wrist watch strap or the like.

Expansible bracelets must not only be of practical and durable construction but must meet the requirements of appearance to the extent of being neat and ornamental. One type if linkage that meets these requirements consists of tubular sections disposed in telescopic relation. Expansion linkage of this character must be suciently exible to lie comfortable on the wrist when used as a bracelet. In order to obtain this flexibility the tubular sections, while under tension in telescopic relation, must have free lateral movement, requiring hinged connections between the sections, usually in the form of pintles or hinge pins.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simplied and practical linkage arrangement if telescopically disposed sections which may be quickly and conveniently assembled.

Another object of the invention is to provide an expansible bracelet of pleasing appearance capable of lateral movement about the wrist by means of flexible connections between and integral with adjacent tubular telescopically disposed sections.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description together with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a bracelet embodying the present invention when used to hold a wrist watch;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of several connected links of the bracelet in expanded relation;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the links shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of several links partly in cross section to show the tension member and the flexible connection between the link sections.

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of two, inner and outer, members forming a link section;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which the inner member of a link is formed, and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a sheet metal blank from which the outer member of a link is formed.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 shows a band 10 cornposed of a plurality of what may be termed links or link sections 11 in the form of a bracelet to support a watch 12 in accordance with the present invention. As shown the bracelet or band 10 is suitably pivoted at its ends 13 and 14 to the watch and as shown the surface of the band lends itself to variation in surface ornamentation and may be used to hold a watch as shown or may be made in a continuous circle to be used as a piece of jewelery such as a bracelet.

As shown each link 11 includes two parts or members in telescopical relation; an outer part 15 and an inner part 16. When the links are fully contracted the part 16 is almost entirely covered by the part 15. Thus the complete expansion of a link increases the length of the band to almost double its contracted length.

Each part is formed from a blank of sheet metal as for example the inner part 16 is formed from blank 17 (Fig. 6) and the outer part is formed from blank 18 (Fig. 7).

When bent to constitute an outer link part 15 the blank 18 takes the shape illustrated more clearly in Fig. 5. This part 15 as shown may be generally rectangular in transverse cross section provided with side walls 19 and 21, top wall 22 and bottom wall 23.

The part 15 is thus of tubular form and at one end 20, side walls 19 and 21 are provided with inturned projections or stops 24 and 25 respectively. The other end 20 of the part 15 is provided with an inturned curved extension or retainer lip 23 integral with the bottom wall 23 and an inturned guide piece 26 integral with the top wall 22.

The part 16 is also of tubular form proportioned to fit in nested relation to part 15. This part 16 is formed with a longitudinal groove 27 in the top wall thereof to receive the guide piece 26 at one end of top wall 22 of part 15 and guide piece 30 at the other end of said wall 22. The groove 27 is closed at its ends to limit the movement of the guide piece and hold parts 15 and 16 against separation. Side walls 28 and 29 are also provided with longitudinal grooves 31 and 32 respectively to receive the projections or stops 24 and 25. The grooves 31 and 32 are closed at one end to limit the endwise movement of the parts 15 and 16 relative to each other. The bottom wall 33 of part 16 is provided with a slot 34 to receive lip 23' when the parts 15 and 16 are in assembled relation. Thus when retainer lip 23 is disposed in slot 34 the parts 15 and 16 are coupled together but free to move or ,j

rock with the coupling as a pivot.

As shown in Fig. 4, when a series of links composed of parts 15 and 16 are in operative positions to Aconstitute a band they are held normally contracted by coil spring 34 having one end attached to a cross bar 36 secured to the side walls of part 15 at one end of the series and the other end attached to a similar cross bar (not shown) at the other end of the series of links.

As will be evident the parts 15 and 16 are free to slide one upon the other and when contracted are held in proper relation by projections or stops 24 and 25 disposed in guide slots 31 and 32.

Each pair of tubular members or parts 15 and 16 constitute a link unit and flexibility as to lateral movement between the link elements 11 and the guide piece 26 rides in groove 27 to the limit of its movement and by reason of the arcuate formation of the groove 27 at one end thereof the guide piece 26 rockes about the closed end of the groove thereby cooperating with the coupling comprising slot 34 and retainer lip 23 to give lateral movement and flexibility to the connected links, the parts being limited in endwise movement against separation when expanded by the stops 24 and 25 which contact closed ends of grooves 31 and 32.

From the foregoing it will be clear that the present invention provides a simple and practical expansion bracelet. Furthermore, the absence of hinge pins reduces cost and facilitates assembly thereby providing a more desirable and commercial product.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it is to be understood that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A link assembly comprising an inner and an outer tubular member positioned for relative movement, said outer tubular member having top, bottom, and side walls, an inwardly extending extension at one end of said bottom wall, said inner member having top, bottom, and side Walls, the bottom wall of said inner tubular member having a pivot aperture adjacent to one end thereof, said extension being received in said aperture and pivotally conneetingsaid irmer and outer tubular members, for relative pivotal movement, the top Wal-l of said inner tubular member having an extension provided With'- ai curved sur= face substantially equidistant from said pivot aperture, and abutment means on said tubular members limiting said pivotal movement.

2. A telescopio expansion bracelet comprising a plurality of links', each of said links including inner and outer tubular members, tension means for normally retaining said bracelet in contracted relation',- said outer member having top, bottom,A and side Walls, a`n inwardly' extending extension at one end of said bottom Wall, said inner mer'nf ber having top, bottom, and Side wal-Is, the bottom Wall of said inner tubular member' having a pivot aperture adjacent to one end thereof, said extension being disposed in said aperture and pivotally connecting said inner and outer tubular members'Y for relative pivotal movement, thetop wall of said inner tubular member having an extension provided with a curved surface substantially equi distant from said pivot aperture, abutment means on said tubular members for limiting the degree of said pivotal movement, and means for slidably connecting together adjacent links of said bracelet.

3', A linkassembly comprising a sheet metal outer tubula-r member having top, bottom, and side walls, an extension` at one endof the bottom Wall of said member, said extension being bent in to form a lip, an inner sheet metal tubular member having top, bottom, and side walls, saidbottom Wall of said inner tubular' member having? a pivot aperture adjacent to one end thereof to receive said lip and hingedl-.y connect saidinner and outer tubular members,-the top wall of said inner tubular member have ing an extension providedwith a curved surface substantially equidistant from said pivot aperture, and abutment means on saidtubular members for limiting the degree of pivotalmovement of said members, a sidewall of Said inner tubular member having a longitudinal groove closed at one end to provide a stop adjacent to the end of said inner member opposite said aperture therein and said outer tubular member having a projection extending in from a side Wall thereof for slidably moving in the longitudinal groove in the side wallof another of said inner tubular members and for engaging the stop thereof thus t0 limit Sprafi.

4. A link assembly comprising a sheet metal outer tui bular member having top, bottom, and side' vvalls', said outer member having a longitudinal seam in the bottom Wall thereof, an extension at one end of the bottom wall of said outer member,` said extension being aligned with said seam and bent in to form a lip, an inner sheet metal tubular member having top, bottoni, and side Walls, said inner tubular member having a longitudinal seam in the bottom wall thereof, said bottom wall of said inner tubular member havinga pivot aperture adjacent to one endy thereof to receive said lip' to hin'gedly connect said inner and outer tubular members, the top Wall o'f said inner tu-b'ular mem-ber having an extension provided with a curved surface substantially equidistant from said pivot aperture, and abutment means' on said tubular members for limiting the degree of pivotal movement of saidy mem'-y References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITD 'STTS l'./fl'llSr 1,550,024 Garst Aug.- 18, 1925 1,644,487 Person Oct, 4,- 1927 23,302,426 Dornier a Nov. 17, 1942 2,433,657 Flaig' Dec. 30, 1947 

